PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: March 30, 2022
24 NFL PLAYERS IN TAMPA TO SUPPORT ELITE 7V7 YOUTH TOURNAMENT
TAMPA, Fla. — Nearly 1,000 people attended the inaugural Sandlot 7v7 Pro-Am Challenge Saturday, where 38 NFL-sponsored youth teams competed head-to-head for the championship. This was an elite, high-level flag football tournament where most teams were coached, mentored or advised by an NFL player. The event was the first-ever partnership between the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), Lamar Jackson’s Forever Dreamers Foundation and Abe Elam’s T.E.A.M. Elam Foundation.
Sandlot had 11 active NFL players and 13 retired players on-site at the Tournament SportsPlex of Tampa Bay coaching their teams and training young athletes. The event highlighted the work NFL players have put into their communities through the development of youth. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton fielded three teams and had coaching assistance from former cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones. 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson, two-time Super Bowl champion Torrey Smith, and 11-year veteran cornerback Drayton Florence each entered two teams in the tournament. Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, three-time Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount and 2014 Walter Payton Man of the Year Thomas Davis were at the event to support their teams.
“Bringing together past, present and future generations of the game has never been done in this context,” said Dexter Santos, vice president of player services for the NFLPA. “This was inspiring for the kids who got unparalleled mentorship and the players also. These players remember being inspired when they were younger and now, they’re paying it forward to the next generation.”
This single-elimination tournament featured local Florida teams and the country’s most recognized 7v7 teams split into four divisional brackets. The 18U division winners were the Certified Dawgs from Central Florida and sponsored by Super Bowl champion Rod Rutherford. Cam Newton’s C1N Red from the Atlanta region took home the 15U championship. Trinity Elite, a local Tampa team, won the U14 bracket. Odell Beckham, Jr.’s OBJ Elite from Chandler, Ariz., were the U12 champions. Youth also participated in a skills challenge for speed, best hands and most accurate quarterback.
The tournament focused on hard work, sportsmanship and exposure. NFL players offered youth participants advice on gameplay, technique and the resilience necessary to advance to the next level in football and in life. “This is an opportunity that a lot of these kids may never get a chance to do again,” said Blount. “They get a chance to absorb an unlimited amount of knowledge from so many of these guys. …It’s life-changing for some.”
The PRO-AM Challenge is envisioned to be the first in a series of Sandlot 7v7 tournaments to connect youth and NFL mentors from around the country. “The reach of this tournament is unlimited. We had so many different people here from around the country and around the world,” said Elam. “We’re definitely looking forward to next year being bigger.”
Sandlot’s partners provided an educational dimension to the tournament. As part of a shared mission to support the whole athlete, iD Tech, the world’s leading STEM education camp, provided scholarships for 10 underserved players. AR-51, a next-generation tech developer based in Israel, broke new ground by making the Sandlot Pro-Am Challenge in Tampa the first 7v7 tournament filmed using augmented reality.
The 2022 Sandlot Pro-Am Challenge was made possible through the support of the Tampa Bay Sporting Commission, the NFL, the NFLPA, Legit Ballaz 7v7, No Kid Hungry, Xenith, Bang Energy, Seven on Seven Unlimited, Inc., 2Yards & A Cloud Of Dust, High Point Gamer, iD Tech and AR-51. Team Sandlot is grateful for the volunteers from the Lakewood High School football team, the University of Tampa Sports Management Program and members of the Athletic Lifestyle Management Academy (ALMA).
For more information about the Sandlot 7v7 teams and sponsors visit 7v7unlimited.com or follow Sandlot on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
